ABSTRACT
The durability of concrete pylon is one of the key issues in the maintenance of cable stayed bridges. However, a lot of wide cracks were produced at construction stage of many pylons, which may lead to a decrease in durability. The causes of cracks of a concrete pylon were studied in this paper. Firstly, the thermal parameters are identified by temperature test, and FEA method are adopted for simulation. It is proved that the hydration heat has a significant effect on cracking. The cracks are divided into two kinds: surface cracks and internal cracks. The surface cracks are caused by the sudden cooling during the formwork removal stage. The internal cracks are caused by the excessive temperature difference between segments. The analysis can provide reference for the prevention, treatment and maintenance of such structural.
